Kay's Number One Spot: 2010

Thursday, December 30, 2010

Kanye West Turned Defiance Into Victory In 2010 Via Twitter, G.O.O.D. Fridays and My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy 'Ye came out on top this year.

So, this Kanye West fella, you might have heard of him. He basically Swift-boated his career at the 2009 VMAs, went into a self-imposed exile and then triumphantly returned nearly a year later with what many have called the best album of 2010. Huh?

In just over 12 months, West baffled critics by going from zero to hero, while still lashing out at the media and, with stunts like his #kanyeshrug hashtag, essentially proving he's the same guy he always was.
"I think the thing with Kanye, he really just stuck to the same script, which is basically, Iove me or hate me but the music is gonna be so great you have to deal with me," Complex editor-in-chief Noah Callahan-Bever told MTV News. "And that's been the story of his career since the beginning. I think this year, he happened to be loved or hated in such extremes at the end of 2009, going on a self-imposed exile in Hawaii, he really created a currency in the intrigue with what he was doing."
What he was doing was assembling a barrage of hip-hop's best producers — including Q-Tip, the RZA, Pete Rock and more — and a diverse range of collaborators to help put together his artistic denouement: My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. The collection was bombastic musically and browbeating lyrically.
The first shot, "Power," was a sonic middle finger to his detractors. 'Ye looked at his life and career and took stock of his place in the pop-culture ranks. It was a manifesto, of sorts, in which West declared that he was aware of his flaws and mistakes but everyone else can take them or leave them.
"He really figured that great music will change things," RapRadar and RESPECT. magazine's Elliot Wilson explained.
It wasn't just the music, though, that helped Kanye come back into people's good graces once again. He took to Twitter to voice this thoughts, sometimes in amusing non sequiturs, sometimes in revealing bunches of dispatches came in bunches, like when he addressed, once and for all, the Taylor Swift incident.
In words that he couldn't seem to put to melody or properly convey to a talk-show host, West simply took responsibility, apologized and moved on to the next track. And then he proceeded to change the subject with his string of G.O.O.D. Friday releases online.
"He did select press but he made a lot of noise online," New York Times music critic Jon Caramanica said. "I think he understood quickly how to make the best use of that medium."
But what the critics and everyone who catches themselves constantly humming songs from Fantasy agree on is that "he really brought it all back to the music," as Callahan-Bever put it. "At the end of the day no Taylor Swift incident or 'Today' show appearance can take away from [that]."

Chris Brown Apologizes For Homophobic Raz-B Twitter Rant 'Words cannot begin to express how sorry and frustrated I am over what transpired publicly on Twitter,' singer tells TMZ.

A day after launching a series of N-bombs and homophobic tweets in the direction of former B2K singer Raz-B, Chris Brown was feeling contrite Thursday (December 30). The singer, who recently boasted about his completion of a court-ordered, yearlong domestic-violence course as part of his sentencing for assaulting then-girlfriend Rihanna, told gossip site TMZ that he regretted making crude sexual comments that were considered homophobic.
"Yesterday was an unfortunate lack in judgment sparked by public Twitter attacks from Raz-B, who was bent on getting attention," Brown said of the virtual feud. "Words cannot begin to express how sorry and frustrated I am over what transpired publicly on Twitter. I have learned over the past few years to not condone or represent acts of violence against anyone."
On Wednesday, the "Deuces" singer got charged up when Raz-B tweeted a comment critical of Brown in the midst of a flurry of tweets in praise of Rihanna. "I'm just sittin here thinking how can n---as like [Eric Benet] & [Chris Brown] disrespect women as intelligent as Halle Berry, Rihanna," Raz wrote.
Brown quickly shot back, tweeting, "N---a you want attention! Grow up n---a!!! Di-- in da booty ass lil boy."
The harsh comments were an apparent allusion to allegations Raz-B made (and later retracted) that B2K manager Brian Stokes had molested him. Several other homophobia-tinged responses followed, but, unlike in the past when Brown went into Internet silence after making heated statements, he vowed that this time, he would not delete his Twitter account.
"I was minding my damn business and Peter pan decides to pop off!!!" Brown wrote. "I'm not mad though!!! I'm just not silent nor am i one of these scary R&B cats!!" In light of the harsh statements, Brown followed up by writing, "I'm not homophobic! He's just disrespectful!!!"
Since the Rihanna assault, Brown has made a series of outrageous or confounding statements that he quickly followed with apologies or retractions. He followed that pattern on Thursday, when he told TMZ, "Molestation and victims of such acts are not to be taken lightly; and for my comments I apologize -- from the bottom of my heart." An unnamed source connected to Brown pointed out that Raz's allegations against Stokes were suspect, adding that regardless of their veracity, Brown's comments were not acceptable.
"I love all of my fans, gay and straight," Brown went on to say. "I have friends from all walks of life and I am committed, with God's help, to continue becoming a better person."
Though Brown was extending an olive branch, TMZ also noted that Raz's brother, the singer known as Ricky Romance, posted a video threatening that if he saw Brown in Los Angeles, he would "put my mother----ing pistol in your mouth." A spokesperson for Raz noted that Ricky's comments do not represent Raz's feelings but are the result of a protective instinct among siblings. "Raz-B has already spoken to his brother and told him to chill out," the spokesperson said.

Kanye West's Unfinished 'Monster' Video Leaks Online Gory video features Jay-Z, Nicki Minaj, Rick Ross, and images of decapitated women and zombies feasting on flesh.

The lyrics to Kanye West's all-star track "Monster" are full of dark images of bloodsuckers, dead hands, the devil, sarcophagi, ghouls, goblins, murder, fangs and Chucky from "Child's Play."
And though he's not often one to take such a literal path in the imagery that accompanies his songs, a leaked version of the unfinished video for West's "Monster" lives up to the gruesome, blood-drenched lyrical barbs served up in the song by Yeezy, Rick Ross, Jay-Z and Nicki Minaj. The fuller version is in keeping with the gory glimpses seen in late November when a preview leaked online.

At press time, West had not commented on the leak, but online hip-hop communities were abuzz about the transgressive nature of the images in the five-minute clip. It opens with the disturbing sight of several woman in lingerie and high heels hanging from nooses around Ross as he sits on a throne and smokes a cigar, then switches to a scene of West being groped by the hands of unseen women reaching through a metal gate.
As he raps about "the best living or dead, hands down, huh?" West pops up shirtless on a bed with electric-blue sheets next to two hollow-eyed women in lingerie. They appear to be dead as he positions their limp arms around each other. What follows are scenes in which a woman in a designer dress drags a lifeless man's body across the floor and then draws blood as she steps on his chest with her spiked heels.
The clip, which borrows heavily from monster and horror movie tropes seen in such films as "Saw," "Night of the Living Dead" and "American Psycho," depicts Kanye in a mansion trying to hold back a horde of zombie attackers, dead women splayed out on dinner tables, a zombie couple feasting on a bloody corpse, glowing-eyed ghoulies crawling down halls, Jay-Z rapping in a crisp suit in front of a dead naked woman draped face-down on a leather couch, and West standing in cowboy gear while holding a woman's severed head.
Amidst all these graphic images of decapitated and dismembered female forms comes a scene in which Nicki, wearing black leather bondage gear and wielding a leather riding crop, engages in a psychological showdown with herself. She's seen riding herd over a hooded figure in a white wedding dress strapped to an executioner's chair, wielding a long, sharp sword. Once the hood is removed, it's clear that Minaj is confronting her pink-wigged Barbie alter ego as the two sides of her personality engage in a death match that swings from a lap dance to seeming threats of murder.
The flesh feast ends with glimpses of a female werewolf in black teddy and rocking bushy grey muttonchops dancing in front of a fire, West cuddling in bed with his deceased female companions and pale hands reaching out from behind a door.

Chris Brown, Raz-B In Bitter Twitter Feud Over Rihanna Former B2K member and Brown trade angry comments about homophobia and domestic violence.

Chris Brown recently posted proof that he had completed a year-long domestic violence course as part of his sentence for assaulting Rihanna. But despite getting glowing reviews from the judge in his case, Brown proved this week that he can still get a bit hot under the collar when it comes to certain subjects.
According to reports, on Wednesday, the "Deuces" singer got charged up when former B2K singer Raz-B tweeted a comment critical of Brown. After posting a dozen messages declaring his admiration of Rihanna, he wrote of her ex, "I'm just sittin here thinking how can n---as like [Eric Benet] and [Chris Brown] disrespect women as intelligent as Halle Berry, Rihanna."
Brown quickly shot back, tweeting, "N---a you want attention! Grow up n---a!!! Di-- in da booty ass lil boy."
The harsh comments were an apparent allusion to allegations Raz-B made — and later retracted — that B2K manager Brian Stokes had molested him. Several other homophobia-tinged responses followed, but, unlike in the past when Brown went into Internet silence after making heated statements, he vowed that this time he would not delete his Twitter account.
"I was minding my damn business and Peter pan decides to pop off!!!" Brown wrote. "I'm not mad though!!! I'm just not silent nor am i one of these scary R&B cats!!" In light of the harsh statements, Brown followed up by writing, "I'm not homophobic! He's just disrespectful!!!"
Raz didn't hold his fire, either, responding, "When I need tips on how to demolish my career I'll call ya!!!!" He then following up with several more jabs at Brown's career, which took a hit in the wake of the Rihanna assault. "I love how u resort 2 disrespectful low brow tactics when u clearly sabotaged ur own career by beating women."
The ugly back-and-forth continued, with Brown assuring his gay fans that he loves them, saying that "this immature act is not targeted at you!!!!" Brown continued to try and change the tenor of the talk, posting early Thursday morning, "LOVE ALL MY SUPPORTERS and people who know my heart. HOMOPHOBE? c'mon, find a better tactic. that's pure ignorance and stupidity. i love everyone."
Brown was sentenced to a domestic violence course in August 2009 after he reached a plea deal with Beverly Hills prosecutors in the wake of his felony conviction on charges of assault against then girlfriend Rihanna. The singer was required to take the once-a-week class for one year, sentenced to 180 days of community labor, placed on five years of probation and issued a stay-away order from Rihanna.
"I have enough self-respect and decency to be proud of accomplishing this DV class," Brown tweeted last week about the end of his domestic violence classes. "Boyz run from their mistakes. Men learn from them!!! thx."

Nicki Minaj, Trey Songz, More Share Their New Year's Resolutions Avril Lavigne wants to 'be healthy' and 'focus hard.'

With all the 2010 wrap-up stories and year-end lists dominating these last few days, it's time to start thinking beyond New Year's Eve and into the new year. And you know what that means: New Year's resolutions. The most popular vows generally revolve around health (weight loss, exercise, quitting smoking) and finance (spend less).
However when MTV News caught up with a few of our favorite stars recently to find out what they resolve to do in 2011, their commitments were a bit more unique.

"My New Year's resolution is to stay true to myself," "Bottoms Up" singer Trey Songz revealed. "Regardless of what anybody says, I'll never let anybody else's thoughts dictate that of my own."
"Probably just progress more as an actor," said 12-year-old "Modern Family" scene-stealer Rico Rodriguez.
Avril Lavigne had three broad goals in mind: "Be healthy, focus hard, make sure to see [my] family."
MTV's own "Jersey Shore" standout Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino said his plans involve moving from the small screen to the big one. "[I might be] doing maybe a movie or something," he teased.
Chart-topping pink princess Nicki Minaj offered the most colorful response: "[I'll be] touring around the world. It's looking like the biggest, baddest, I don't know ... I should've had something better to say," she began, and then invented a few words on the spot, for emphasis on just how big 2011 will be for the "Your Love" singer. "[I'm going to be the] biggest, baddest, boldest, booming-est, fearless-ocity-est, Pink Friday-est, girl," she promised.

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez Kissing Photo Is Fake, Rep Says A rep for Bieber says the picture isn't of the rumored couple.

OK, so Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez aren't kissing and telling when it comes to the status of their relationship, and they're also not kissing and snapping photos. When a picture leaked online of what appeared to be the teen stars caught in a lip-lock, fans began to wonder if perhaps the rumors of their romance were true.
But a rep for Bieber told Celebuzz that the photo, which originally appeared on Bieber fan site Bieber Heiress, is a fake. The rep added that they hope "no one is actually paying money for that photo" since the couple in the photo are not actually Bieber and Gomez.

But those aren't the only rumors circulating about Justin and Selena. E! News reports that the pair were seen hanging out in Miami ordering room service at the Gansevoort Hotel, where Bieber was staying under the alias Chandler Bing, Matthew Perry's character from "Friends." They reportedly ordered some late-night food from STK on December 18 at around 1 a.m. The two were spotted in the hallway of the hotel. What did they drink with their meal? Pepsi and ginger ale.
Bieber recently tweeted about rumors, writing, "Chillin and happy. Its been a fun year with a lot of blessings. Some crazy rumors but so much love and memories. We r just gettin started!! So enjoy the holidays. Get crazy and have some laughs. Life is too short. At least that is what they tell me. #newyearsIsComin."

Eminem, Jay-Z Track 'Syllables' Leaks Online The dated tune, titled 'Syllables,' also features Dr. Dre, 50 Cent, Stat Quo and Cashis

Leave it to the last two Hottest MCs winner, Eminem and Jay-Z, to lament the lost art of lyricism in hip-hop.
The two top-notch rappers — along with Dr. Dre, 50 Cent, Stat Quo and Cashis — spit about catchy choruses and gimmicks taking over the game on "Syllables." The track is a buried studio gem from old recording sessions that made its way online on Tuesday night.
"If we got to dumb down our style and A-B-C it, then so be it," Em raps over slow piano stabs. "'Cause nowadays, these kids, geez/ Don't give a sh-- about lyrics, all they want to hear is a beat and that's it/ Long as they can go to the club and get blitz, pick up some chicks and get some digits.
"We don't know a word to the verse, we only know the chorus," he adds later. "'Cause the chorus repeats the same four words for us."
It's unclear when the song was recorded, although Cashis confirmed that the number was dated via a Twitter post.
"I recorded it a while ago but it just came out today," wrote the rapper. "Timing is everything." The tune likely dates back to when Cashis was a newcomer on Shady Records (Stat Quo, an upstart Aftermath signee at the time, has since left the label).
Meanwhile, a track called "Topless" featuring Eminem and Nas also hit the Net on Tuesday night. A previous version of the song with Nas and T.I. has been circulating online for some time.
Em and Tip both rap in cadences similar to Dr. Dre, a sign that their vocals are references for the producer.

Usher, Ke$ha And More Help Dance Music Go Pop In 2010 But is it here to stay? Our music-industry experts weigh in.

In 2010, pop princesses, R&B icons and chart-dominating newcomers all danced to the same beat. Not only did dance music go pop, but pop music caught the club-music bug.

Between Katy Perry's "Firework," Ke$ha's "We R Who We R," Rihanna's "Only Girl (In the World)," Enrique Iglesias' "I Like It," Usher's "DJ Got Us Fallin' in Love" and "OMG" and countless other singles, established artists definitely looked to dance beats for surefire hits. And two of this year's biggest success stories in music were Jason Derülo and Taio Cruz; could there be a soul left in this country who hasn't heard "Dynamite" or "In My Head"?
The love went both ways, with dance music's biggest stars finding mainstream success this year. Dance-music maestro deadmau5 took up house-artist duties at this year's VMAs, and Swedish House Mafia and Usher teamed up for a medley of their gems at the American Music Awards.
So how did this happen? We caught up with some music-industry experts to get their takes.
"You definitely saw tempos go up this year," Jon Caramanica of The New York Times told MTV News. "And I think what you had are a lot of producers who are really familiar with nightclub stuff. They are familiar with Europe. Things are happening on a more global scale now."
"I think everything from Europe, and sometimes even Asia, it comes to America, and we just adopt things a little bit slower," said Jared Eng of JustJared.com. "I think it was just a change. People like different types of music at different times. And dance was of this moment."
Noah Callahan of Complex magazine added: "I think 2010 saw the merging of the pop and dance genres. Pop artists realized that there were best practices that could be borrowed from dance music. And, ultimately, [all] pop music that has been made in the past 20 years had ended up being remixed for the club by dance artists. I think they basically just cut out the middleman and went straight there."
Dance music being introduced into the hip-hop and R&B realms was particularly notable this year.
"I think David Guetta kind of at the end of last year and the beginning of this year spearheaded it," said freelance writer Julianne Escobedo Shepherd. "He produced a lot of tracks. I think as trends go, people revile 'unst-unst.' But it's just coming back around. Big-room techno was a way for people to get decadent in a year that no one could get decadent."
"You have someone like will.i.am, who's like, 'Well, I spent all this time in Ibiza, and this is what they are doing,' and he wants to find a way to bring that into his music," Caramanica said of the Black Eyed Peas mastermind. "R&B especially became dance music. And especially with your Jason Derülos, Taio Cruzes. Guys like that would have literally been blocked at the border two years ago. That would not have made it through customs. And now all of a sudden they have #1 songs. I think will.i.am had a lot to do with that last year."
Elliott Wilson of RapRadar.com added: "It's actually even affected hip-hop. I was talking to Q-Tip, and his next record, I feel like that's gonna kind of go in that vein. I know that was also Jay-Z's thought process with Blueprint 3 at first, that he wanted to make a little bit more of a world music [vibe], a little more dancey. I think the kids today want to go to the clubs. They wanna have a good time. They wanna dance. So I think the artists of today are trying to kind of feed that audience."
"I think it's caught on this year because the people who've done it have been successful," offered Clover Hope of Vibe magazine. "Like 'OMG,' with usher, he didn't have success until he made a dance record. He had 'There Goes My Baby' and these really, like, adult-contemporary records that didn't really catch on. And then once you see that everybody is doing it and that people are liking it, they are like, 'OK, let me just try this out.' It's like Auto-Tune. Like, 'Let me see what I sound like on a record by David Guetta.' They end up liking it and doing more of it."
So does the club-music trend have staying power. According to our tastemakers, not so much.
"I do think it's a blip," Caramanica said. "I don't think that's gonna be something that lasts in America. I think this is gonna be a moment we'll all look back on and go, 'Wasn't that weird when Jason Derülo and Taio Cruz had #1 records?"
"At some point, these R&B artists will get kind of sick of it and be like, 'Let me go back to my soul background,' " Hope said. "When you actually have to say something, dance doesn't really lend itself to substance. And I think that R&B artists, they really want to talk about love and in a deep way, and to do that, you need to do, like, a soul or a traditional R&B record. I want to say that it's kind of a fad."
"I think music is very cyclical," Eng offered. "So I think dance music might be here for a little bit, but I'm sure it will phase out at some point."
Wilson called dance music "the sound of today. I think that people want more aggressive, faster beats, and I think that that probably has legs until at least next summer."

Kim Kardashian And Kanye West Spotted In The Studio 'Feels so good to overcome a fear,' reality starlet tweets after musical meet-up.

Kim Kardashian might not be having Kanye West's baby, but the two certainly seem to be up to something. The duo were spotted at the same Culver City recording studio on Tuesday. Kim was accompanied by momager Kris Jenner as well as TV cameras, while Kanye showed up all on his own.
In photos posted on TooFab.com, Kim is seen walking into the studio wearing boots, a baggy T-shirt and cargo jeans. Kanye, who is set to make an appearance on Kim's new show airing this January, is seen wearing leather pants, a white T-shirt and a leather jacket.
"OMG u guys have no idea what I'm doing today! You are gonna DIE!!!! OMGGGG I'm nervous!!!!!!" she tweeted the same day the duo were spotted at the studio.
"Its going down in here!!! Will twitpic soon! I'm turning it ooooonnnn!!!!" she later added. "What should my alter ego name be? What an amazing day!!! I'm finished for today...but we have a few more to go! Can't twitpic just yet but will soon! Feels so good to overcome a fear!"
Whatever she's up to, with or without Kanye, Kim was still busy on Wednesday (December 29). She tweeted, "Day #2 let's go!"
For his part, Kanye has been pretty quiet on Twitter. His last tweet was on December 27, when he shared, "New dreams... New problems... New solutions."
In November, when rumors first surfaced that they were up to something musically, Kim danced around the topic. "He's a musical genius, so I would be honored to work with Kanye," she told MTV News. "It's all in fun. We're just trying to have a good time."

New Song: Alicia Keys, Featuring Eve, 'Speechless'

We haven't heard a lot of new music from Alicia Keys recently, and with good reason. The lady only just gave birth to her first child--a little boy by the name of Egypt--weeks ago. And she's been busy... dying (digitally) and raising $1 million for her Keep A Child Alive African AIDS relief organization. So she's probably been mad busy feeding her baby organic baby food and dressing him up in adorable outfits and posting the pictures on Facebook. We wouldn't know. Alicia Keys didn't accept our Facebook friend request. Sniff.
That being said! We were pretty excited to get this audio post-Christmas present: It's "Speechless," a new Alicia track featuring Eve. Released as part of Swizz Beatz's (husband of Alicia Keys and father to baby Egypt) Monster Mondays series (sort of a take on Kanye West's G.O.O.D. Fridays.)
It should come as little surprise that Alicia Keys' first post-baby single is all about her new baby. And it should come as little surprise that "Speechless" is a lush, piano and electric guitar led vamp, with Alicia extolling the virtues of motherhood and Eve rapping about finding love when you least expect it.

Sunday, December 19, 2010

Christmas Bashes

Thursday, December 9, 2010

'Transformers: Dark Of The Moon' Teaser Trailer Debuts Preview shows astronauts encountering massive robot craft during 1969 moon landing.

It's big and bad but with surprisingly few 'bots — the trailer to "Transformers: Dark of the Moon" finally premiered online Wednesday (December 8).
The teaser for the latest installment in the high-tech robot saga actually features a lot of footage that many Americans have already seen from the U.S.' historic 1969 mission to the moon.
Scientists in crew cuts and glasses mill about the space center while famed anchor Walter Cronkite narrates the revolutionary event via archival footage. However, in the preview, there is one significant moon discovery that the world didn't see. As the astronauts bop along glacially in zero gravity, they come across an enormous craft that has crashed, which dwarfs the moonmen's spaceship in size and sophistication.
Sweeping shots of the vessel reveal an elaborately constructed enterprise as the astronauts gawk in wonder and confidently report back to the space station that there are no discernible signs of life. However, as the camera dives into the inner sanctum of the craft, the eye of a seemingly out-of-commission 'bot begins to light up.
The franchise's stars have insisted that this is the must-see installment of the series.
"This is, and I'm not just BS-ing you, it's the best movie we've made of the three by far," Shia LaBeouf told MTV News recently. "The script is the best script we've had. The second movie, we were in the middle of a writers' strike, writing on the go," he explained. "The first movie, we had the discovery, and this movie really is the fruition of the rhythm we've created out of five years working together. I'm super proud of this movie."
Co-star Josh Duhamel, who got to check out some of the footage, also gave the flick early raves.
"I've seen about 10 minutes of it — just the stuff we shot in Chicago — and it's pretty awesome," he said in October. "It's all in Michael Bay's head, so you never know what the film's going to turn out like, but judging by the script and what we've shot, it's, I think, every bit as good, if not better than, the first two."
"Transformers: Dark of the Moon" is set to hit theaters in July.
Check out everything we've got on "Transformers: Dark of the Moon."

Rick Ross' 'B.M.F.' Is MTV News' #4 Song Of 2010 The Teflon Don's chilling street anthem places high on our year-end list of Top 25 Songs.

Starting last week, MTV News began counting down the Top 25 Songs of 2010, a list that's already included the likes of Chris Brown and Katy Perry, Lady Gaga and Eminem. Now, we're unveiling our #4 pick: Rick Ross's thrilling, chilling "B.M.F. (Blowin' Money Fast)."

They say in South Florida, it's not so much the heat as it is the humidity. And there were few songs released in 2010 as humid as Rick Ross' "B.M.F.," a track that's practically dripping with swagger and snarl, big-screen boasts and back-alley bravado. From its oft-repeated opening verse — "I think I'm Big Meech/ Larry Hoover" — to its doom-y, boom-y bass and stabbing synth strains, it's an unrelenting, unfathomably heavy thing; a blunt-force, concrete-slab of a song that no one besides the Teflon Don could wield.
"B.M.F." wasn't a huge mainstream hit, mostly because it wasn't designed to be. But from the moment it first premiered in May — on Ross' Albert Anastasia EP — "B.M.F." put both the streets and the clubs in a stranglehold, and it didn't let up for the rest of the year. And you get the feeling that's exactly what Ricky was hoping for. After all, the song is a masterwork of clenched-fist tension, starting with Lex Luger's taut, hefty production work and continuing right on through the dense wordplay, equal parts braggadocio ("Rozay, that's my nickname/ Cocaine runnin' through my big vein") and street-wise slang ("I got that Archie Bunker/ And it's so white, I just might charge you double"). No matter how you slice it — or break it up and sell it — this is the very definition of a street single.
Although Ross' detractors could (and did) point to the song as a prime example of his rather, uh, inventive imagination, "B.M.F." packs such a wallop that any debate about its authenticity seems rather pointless. Ross has always been a gifted storyteller, as evidenced by the wide-screen world he's created for himself, a downright "Scarface"-ian sphere of swagger and sophistication. And this song is perhaps his most accomplished work to date. It's a dispatch from the trenches of that glitzy world, a document of the hustle and the sweat that makes the whole thing possible. Ross' character (as it were) has always been double-sided: equal parts glamour and grime. Accordingly, "B.M.F. is the black yin to "Super High" 's white-suited yang. It's no wonder he sounds totally winded midway through — spinning a yarn this weighty is hard work.
In the end, it doesn't matter whether Ross actually moves keys of coke through Biscayne Bay, not when he keeps telling tales as unflinchingly hard and compellingly deep as "B.M.F." With his minks and Maybachs, mansions and machine guns, Ross' whole shtick may be downright fictional, but his talent, his power, his heft is unquestionably real. And this song is the thrilling, chilling proof. Hallelujah.

The Teflon Don Rick Ross, Live In Ghana

Bow Wow Talks Suicide, Young Money (Video)

New Cash Money Records artist Bow Wow recently broke his silence over his controversial twitter messages he posted last month, hinting at suicide attempts. Denying having even thought about taking his life, Bow Wow admitted to believing he would never achieve mental clarity.

"All I know is the business, I ain't had time to go play football or none of the regular stuff," Bow Wow said to radio personality Angie Ange. "So at times, it haunts you. It do because of course you're gonna be unbalanced. How can you have balance in life when you haven't seen the other side? I'm unbalanced because I've only seen one side of life. I ain't seen the other side. It's not by choice, it's just how it is. Some days I wake up and I do just want to fit in sometimes -- I didn't really mean it like, 'Yo, I'm gonna kill myself,' it's like, when will I get peace? I guess I'll only get it when I'm dead. So that's how I meant [it], I didn't mean it like, 'Yo, I'm about to kill myself right now.'" (KYSDC)